Wire stretcher and splicer



y 6, 1957 H. H. M ADAMS 2,799,298

. WIRE STRETCHER AND SPLICER Filed Juiy 2, 1954 fall Harley H. McA dams -13 INVENTOR.

5 N/ ,4 BY Mm WW FM United States Patent WIRE STRETCHER AND SPLICER Harley H. McAdams, Liberty, Tex.

Application July 2, 1954, Serial No. 440,946

1 Claim. (Cl. 140-117) The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in wire fence tools and more particularly to a tool for stretching adjacent ends of a fence wire and subsequently splicing the ends in tightly connected relation.

An important object of the invention is to provide a wire fence tool of this character for winding one end of the wire on a shaft or drum as it passes through a loop formed in the other end of the Wire to simultaneously stretch both wires and to subsequently turn the tool bodily about the axis of the connected wires to twist the wires in slicing engagement with each other.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wire stretching and splicing tool including a substantially U- shaped bracket supported by the wire winding shaft and having bearings at its end portions in which the shaft is rotatable and further constructing the bracket with means for anchoring the loop of one end of the wire thereto in a spread or open position to facilitate free passage of the other end of the wire through the loop while being wound on the shaft.

A still further object is to provide a tool of this character of simple :and practical construction, which is efiicient and reliable in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purpose for which the same is intended.

These, together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the tool showing the adjacent ends of the wire attached thereto for stretching the wire; and

Figures 2 and 3 are transverse sectional views taken respectively on the lines 22 and 33 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawing in detail wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numeral 5 designates a winding shaft or drum of tubular metal and formed with a tubular T 6 at one end in which a handle 7 is supported.

The opposite end of shaft or drum 5 is formed with a longitudinally extending slot 8 and said end of the shaft is also formed with a transverse opening 9.

A substantially U-shaped bracket 10 is formed at its end portions with bearings 11 having their axes parallel to the bight or central portion of the bracket and the shaft or drum 5 is rotatably positioned in the bearings 11. The slot 8 is of sufiicient length to position its inner end portion between the parallel sides or leg portions 12 of the bracket 10. An arcuate shaped wire loop spreader 13 projects laterally outwardly at the bight or central portion of the bracket 10.

In the operation of the device, a loop 14 is formed in one end portion of a wire 15 to be spliced and the loop is engaged over the spreader 13 of bracket 10. The free end portion of a second wire 16 to be spliced to wire 2,799,298 Patented July 16, 1957 15 is then passed through the loop 14 and is anchored in the slot 8 and bracket 10 is then held stationary while shaft or drum 5 is turned in the bearings 11 by the handle 7 to wind the wire 16 on the shaft or drum 5, in the manner as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. The winding of the Wire 16 on the shaft or drum 5 will serve to tighten both wires 15 and 16 and the shaft or drum 5 may then be locked to the bracket 10 by inserting pins 17 through aligned transverse openings 18 in the bearings 11 and the shaft 5. A second locking pin 19 is also inserted transversely through the bearing 11 positioned in the region of slot 8 and passing the pin 19 also through the slot.

The shaft or drum 5 and bracket 10 may then be turned bodily about the axis of the wires 15 and 16 to twist the adjacent ends of the wires about each other in a manner to splice the wires together.

In order to release the loop 14 from the spreader 13 the pins 17 and 19 are removed and the bracket 10 turned about the axis of the shaft or drum 5 in a direction to disengage the spreader from the loop and the shaft or drum 5 may then be withdrawn from the bearings 11 of the bracket and by so doing the wound end of Wire 16 will be pulled off of the end of the shaft or drum.

The handle 7 may be stored in the hollow shaft or drum 5 and retained therein by inserting the pin 19 in the transverse openings 9.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A wire stretching and splicing tool comprising a substantially U-shaped bracket including a pair of parallel leg portions having bearings at the end portions thereof and with the axes of the bearings at right angles to said leg portions, a laterally projecting member at the central portion of the bracket and adapted for attaching a loop of a first wire thereto, a shaft slidably and rotatably mounted in the bearings and having a longitudinal slot in one end adapted for anchoring a second wire thereto for winding on the shaft between the leg portions of the bracket, said first wire extending in a direction parallel to and between the leg portions of the bracket, and said second wire passing through the loop of the first wire for twisting the second wire about the first wire upon a bodily turning movement of the tool about both wires, a pin detachably carried transversely of at least one of the bearings and engaged in said slot for locking the shaft to the bracket for turning as a unit to tighten the first and second wires, and said second wire being removable from the shaft by engagement of one of the leg portions of the bracket with the twisted wire upon a sliding movement of the shaft out of said bearings to slide the second named wire out of the slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 250,264 Landers Nov. 29, 1881 453,106 Buckingham May 26, 1891 1,503,418 Hayes July 29, 1924 1,514,639 Triece et al Nov. 11, 1924 2,213,310 Gimenez et a1. Sept. 3, 1940 2,623,730 Wagnon Dec. 30, 1952 2,635,828 Lacy Apr. 21, 1953 

